Adder

"Hey, I might be a criminal, but I'm not going to stab you just for being there."

BASIC INFO:

Name: Adder

Gender: Male

Age: 28

Species: Shifter Dragon

Height: 9'4''

Sexual orientation: Straight

Setting/timeline: Apollo, modern timeline

Occupation: Royal guard

Connections: Ethereal (friend/eventual love interest), Layla (sister)

BACKSTORY:

Short version if you're in a hurry:

Normal version:

Adder grew up in a poor family. Despite their lack of money, they got by. However, when Adder was 16, his sister Layla was diagnosed with a serious illness that would kill her within a year without treatment. The medicine she needed wasn't something they could afford. But Adder wasn't about to let his sister die. Out of desperation, he turned to thievery and hired killing. Eventually, he had enough to afford Layla's medicine, and she survived.

His time as a criminal changed Adder permanently, but also led to him having a better life. One night, he was captured by the city guard during a particularly difficult mission and dragged off to the palace. There, he was met by the Queen herself. He expected execution. But at the time, the Queen was desperately searching for someone skilled and closemouthed to protect her daughter, Ethereal, while she and her husband were away at war.

She spared Adder's life and hired him to guard the princess.

PERSONALITY:

Positive: Honest / Loyal / Street-smart / Calm

Negative: Blunt / Unforthcoming / Slightly paranoid / Bottled up

Adder is the kind of person who usually thinks more than he speaks. As a result of his past, he's cautious and doesn't make impulsive decisions. He's tough and street-smart, unafraid to go against his morals when he believes the outcome is worth more than any personal comfort. He has developed an appreciation for peace and rarely instigates violence, but he isn't a pacifist - he'll fight when necessary and seldom tries to reason with enemies.

Adder is an attentive listener and likes 'people watching'. Though he's not antisocial, forcing company upon him is a quick way to provoke his annoyance. He's down-to-earth and blunt, preferring to cut to the chase rather than talk in circles. He's quick to bring up things that he senses other people avoiding, and rarely allows anyone to delude themselves. He considers his sometimes brutal honesty to be one of his best traits.

Adder has a nonchalant demeanour that causes him to appear calm and unfazed. In reality, he's often on edge, but it takes a lot for him to actually snap. If he starts getting angry, he usually leaves the scene before it becomes obvious.

DESIGN:

Adder is a medium-sized dragon with grey scales, red eyes, and sharp black spikes. He is usually seen wearing a weathered blue scarf. He has a black tattoo on his left shoulder, resembling a dragon's eye and three claws. Four teeth in his bottom jaw are much longer than the others, forming protruding tusks.

He has numerous scars, the most noticeable one being a jagged line down the left side of his face. He also has a badly torn left ear from having an earring ripped out.

Ref: https://toyhou.se/1114638.adder/gallery#50065654 

(Pixel art by Aeneak)

RELATIONSHIPS:

Ethereal

Adder was hired to protect Ethereal from potential assassins while her parents were away from home. However, after they returned, Adder opted to stay on and continue to guard her. Over the years, the two have developed a strange, reserved sort of friendship. More recently, rumours have sprung up that the princess and her guard have feelings for each other, eliciting disapproval from Ethereal's mother. Neither of them have confirmed this.

ABILITIES:

Like all of his species, Adder can shift between dragon and human form at will.

He is a skilled combatant, relying mostly on knives and daggers to fight while in human form. He can throw a knife with great accuracy, and though his strength isn't the best, he's fast and nimble.

TRIVIA:

- Smokes cigarettes to relieve stress, though limits himself to a maximum of five per day.

- Mostly vegetarian. He eats meat occasionally because his species needs it to maintain full health, but dislikes the taste or texture of most meat.

- The tattoo on his shoulder is a symbol of the Clandestine, a criminal organisation in his city. He became a member in order to learn many of the skills he used as a hitman and thief, and to find work.